A Paranormal Encounter?

I experienced a couple of strange things on my last trip to Florida and decided it would be neat to include some pictures with my story so you could get a better idea of What, Where, When and How.

After viewing an episode of Ghost Hunters featuring the St. Augustine lighthouse, I was VERY excited about seeing the lighthouse for myself! During the day, my friends and I took a self-guided tour and I highly recommend it because it is very interesting - not just for those who are into the paranormal but simply for history's sake.

Can't wait to get inside!

Looks creepy through the trees, doesn't it?

My first view of the lighthouse. It is imposing!

 I love my zoom lens. No, I did not go up to the top (remember my PeopleMover story???).

 This is where you enter the lighthouse.

 A shot of the stairs...

 ...going up, up, up! This is where Ghost Hunters caught TONS of evidence on film and digital recorders.

 Since I wasn't about to go up to the top of the lighthouse, I decided to explore the main residence used by past lighthouse keepers. The balcony was calling to me so I took this shot and decided to climb the stairs.

 Now I am on the balcony, looking across the yard to the lighthouse entrance. It was at this point that I smelled cigar smoke and blurted out, "Who the bleep bleep bleep bleep hell is smoking??? Can't they see the 40 million no smoking signs hanging all over this property??"

My friend, Karen, looked at me and I instantly knew by the look on her face that she thought I had lost my mind. I said, "Don't you smell that??"

She shook her head no.

"You don't smell the cigar smoke???"

Again, she shook her head no.

I immediately brought up my camera and took the following photo in hopes that I might catch something paranormal. Unfortunately, I didn't.

Oh well...we hung out there a few minutes longer and then decided to join my friend, Peter on the first floor. We entered the first floor of the museum and chatted briefly with one of the curators. I noticed a "no smoking" sign on the wall behind him and mentioned how annoyed I was that someone had been smoking. He stared at me for a moment...then he said, "Where were you when you smelled the smoke?"
 At the same time, both Karen and I said, "Up on the balcony." The curator smiled and then informed us that the second lighthouse keeper loved to relax by smoking a cigar but his wife forbade him from smoking in the house so he would go out on the balcony for a smoke.

!!!!
My eyes nearly popped out of my head!

That same evening we took a cheesy ghost tour just for the fun of it. It was very entertaining and I enjoyed it immensely.

We ended up at the lighthouse and the guide gathered us on the grounds across the street from the lighthouse.

 We were all standing here listening to the guide tell stories of ghostly apparitions when all of a sudden someone poked me in the back - HARD. I turned around to say something smartass to Peter, thinking it was him that had poked me. There was no one behind me. It was then I realized that Peter was across the way on the other side of the group! I looked at Karen and from where she was standing, there was no way she could have been the one to poke me!

The tour guide noticed the look on my face and asked me of something was wrong. I sheepishly told her that I had been poked. "Oh they like you! They know you are sensitive to them!" Of course by now, everyone is looking at me, LOL. At that moment, I remembered something my son said to me: "Make sure nothing follows you home!"

Before getting back on the tour bus, I took one last shot of the residence. I like the creepy look of this...makes me wanna go back!!!

If you want to watch the episode of Ghost Hunters I mentioned, it is available on youtube. I found the best parts of that episode here and here!